The present invention is directed to an improved structural and foundation system employing building panels and associated components (e.g., corners, plates, joints) made of a polymeric material and designed, in particular, for use in below-grade applications such as building foundations. The invention includes not only a system of wall panels and related components, but also the method of manufacturing the panels and components and methods of constructing a foundation using the present invention.
The use of structural components incorporating polymeric elements is known in the prior art. However, use as structural components that are suitable for withstanding or bearing lateral loads as below-grade foundations, as well as concurrent, compressive end loads (i.e., applied along the longitudinal length of the structure) does not appear to be taught in the prior art. While known components fulfill their particular objectives and requirements, the prior art components do not appear to provide an integrated system capable of withstanding the required loads for an extended period of time without failure or unacceptable deflection, or a method of manufacture and use of such a system, or the associated components, particularly as load-supporting foundation elements. In these respects, the polymeric material foundation system of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an improved system, method of manufacture and method of use primarily developed for the purpose of easily producing, shipping and assembling a below-grade structural foundation for residential or similar structures.
Building industry data collected by the U.S. Government indicates that privately-owned housing starts in the U.S. run at or above an annual rate of approximately 1.5 million, with single-family residences being well over a million of those homes. As builders and others struggle with the increasing costs of residential and other construction, improved materials and ease of construction are key factors in a builder's ability to remain competitive.
Heretofore, a number of patents and publications have disclosed particular structural configurations and the use of polymeric materials in buildings or other structures, the relevant portions of some of which may be briefly summarized as follows and are hereby incorporated by reference in the present application for their teachings:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,610 to Nakamura, issued Jul. 2, 2002, discloses an aluminum, hollow frame for a rail car member constituted by joining a pair of face plates with truss-shaped ribs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,709 to Hertz, issued Jan. 30, 2001, teaches a foundation system utilizing plastic components. The foundation system includes plastic components having heating elements selectively embedded therein for fusing abutting portions of adjacent components to hold them together.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,567 to Hota et al. teaches a lightweight fiber reinforced deck panel (FRP) having two surfaces and perpendicular ribs therebetween, along with female and male ends for mating with one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,938 to Francesco et al. teaches a panel construction system having a metal-alloy web and at least one plate element to provide rigidity to the panel. Also disclosed are profiled elements that provide corner or angled transitions.
Prior art foundation systems generally preclude easy shipping and assembly of foundations, or are labor intensive. The present invention seeks to overcome these problems, while providing a polymeric material that will withstand the peculiar loading requirements of a foundation—as opposed to above-ground structures. In particular, the present invention is particularly adapted to provide a wall structure that is capable of supporting traditional compressive loads directed vertically down through the wall structure, as well as resist the lateral loading of the wall due to excavation fill, ground water and other elemental factors that bear against a foundation.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for constructing a foundation, comprising: providing a pre-fabricated wall panel having a hollow frame member with first and second faces generally parallel to one another and connected by a plurality of ribs spanning a space therebetween; anchoring, at least temporarily, a lower portion of the wall panel at a footer; and affixing to a top of the wall panel a sill plate for attaching additional structural elements at a top thereto.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall panel system for use below-grade, comprising: a first face; a second face; and a plurality of ribs spanning a space between said first and second faces and holding said first and second faces in a generally parallel relationship, said wall panel faces and ribs being formed of the same polymeric material, wherein said panel system is capable of withstanding a lateral load applied to at least one face thereof and a compressive end load.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a wall, comprising: providing a first wall panel, the first wall panel including a hollow frame member with first and second sheet faces generally parallel to one another and connected by a plurality of ribs spanning a space there between; positioning a second wall member adjacent a side edge of the first wall panel; and permanently affixing (e.g., solvent welding, ultrasonic welding, gluing) the second wall member to the side edge of the first wall panel.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the wall panel is formed using an extrusion process, and where an extruded hollow frame member is cut to produce wall panels of varying heights.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall system comprising: at least one wall panel, said wall panel including a hollow frame member with first and second sheet face plates generally parallel to one another and connected by a plurality of ribs spanning a space therebetween, said wall panel face plates and ribs being formed of a polymeric material; and a polymeric foundation component positioned adjacent to said at least one wall panel to form a structural foundation, wherein the polymeric foundation component is permanently affixed to the wall panel.
One aspect of the polymeric foundation invention deals with a basic problem of the cost-effective construction of foundations, particularly in residential and other new construction. This aspect is further based on the discovery of a technique that alleviates this problem. The technique utilizes a novel structural design and polymeric material such as fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to produce wall panels and other components for the assembly of foundations.
One aspect of the invention is also based on the discovery that the structural wall panels and related components may be readily extruded so as to enable various foundation dimensions and sizes readily producible with little post-extrusion processing. Moreover, because the foundation system utilizes PVC or similar polymers, a complete foundation may be shipped at a far lower cost than conventional concrete or block materials. This discovery avoids problems that arise in the cost-effective construction of homes and other buildings or structures (e.g., retaining walls, abutments, etc.).
The techniques described herein are advantageous because they are efficient and simple compared to other approaches to the construction of foundations and similar below-grade structures. Other advantages that may be achieved over conventional foundation construction techniques include: (a) resistance to thermal loss or gain, (b) resistance to water penetration, (c) resistance to vapor or gas penetration (radon), (d) resistance to microbe growth, and (e) ease of maintenance. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention result in a foundation system having finished surfaces on both the interior and exterior wall surfaces such that little or no finishing steps are required for the foundation itself—providing usable living space (depending on the local codes). When installed this system allows a homeowner to have a bright, dry, and easily maintained interior—a significant departure from conventional foundation systems.
The techniques described herein also make it unnecessary to have significant labor involved in the foundation construction process for long periods of time, and they can be adapted to any of a number of building uses, including above-grade construction. The techniques of the invention are advantageous because they permit efficiencies in what has traditionally been a very labor and cost-intensive part of new construction. As a result of the invention, it is believed that the techniques may be used to pre-manufacture foundation components for use in new construction, and that the resulting structures will provide equal or improved performance over their life, including improved thermal performance (resistance to heat loss), water resistance, vapor resistance, etc.
The present invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, however, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiment described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be depicted or otherwise included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.